Lead Project Manager
Cross-team expert
Career Explorer · Program, Portfolio & Transformation Management · Project Management
Standard where business need supports the level
What the role involves
- Autonomy
- Sets approach for a domain
- Scope
- Multiple teams / major programs / critical capabilities
- Time horizon
- Quarters
- Expertise and judgement
- Integrates disciplines; influences architecture/process; multiplies others
- Expected impact
- Creates reusable direction and cross-team impact
Expected skills (21)
Grouped as human, professional and technical. Target proficiency uses the P1–P5 scale, and each row says what that level means for that particular skill.
Human (10)
| Skill | Importance | Target | What that level looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountability Personal Effectiveness | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Active listening Communication & Influence | Core | P3 | Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues. |
| Collaboration Collaboration & Leadership | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Critical thinking Thinking & Judgment | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Customer empathy Personal Effectiveness | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Learning agility Thinking & Judgment | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Ownership Personal Effectiveness | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Problem solving Thinking & Judgment | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Verbal communication Communication & Influence | Core | P3 | Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues. |
| Written communication Communication & Influence | Core | P3 | Handles complex situations, adapts methods and coaches less-experienced colleagues. |
Professional (11)
| Skill | Importance | Target | What that level looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business acumen Business & Strategy | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Program management Program, Risk & Sustainability | Core | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Benefits realization Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Change management People & Organization | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Dependency management Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| PMO governance Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Portfolio management Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Project management Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Resource management Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Schedule management Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
| Transformation management Program, Risk & Sustainability | Supporting | P4 | Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems. |
Career ladder
Reached from
Next steps
- Principal Project ManagerIC5IC promotion
Move from cross-team leadership to enterprise/domain authority; shape strategy, investment, standards and multi-team outcomes.
What changes to advance
Move from cross-team leadership to enterprise/domain authority; shape strategy, investment, standards and multi-team outcomes.
Source: PMI; Microsoft Careers · JF0386-IC4